Warning: This post contains erotic imagery and may not be suitable for work environments.

Sandra LaMorgese was a holistic practitioner for many years before she lost her wellness clinic in the wake of the Great Recession in 2011. The now 60-year-old has worked as a dominatrix ever since.

“If you had told me 10 years ago that I would kick a man straight in the balls wearing six-inch heels, blood-red lipstick, black eye shadow, and false eyelashes, I would have kicked you out of my house,” she said.

But as a 55-year-old with no prospects and no savings, she had little choice but to be resourceful.

Damon Dahlen/Huffington Post

“I somehow understood that this line of work would set me free from my own judgmental perceptions ― formed through social standards ― of how a woman should behave and follow the ‘rules’,” LaMorgese said. “I also hoped it might get me back on my feet financially.”

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After weeks of persuasion, she finally convinced a New York City BDSM dungeon to grant her an in-person interview. She started dominatrix training three days later and, just like that, became a professional.

To find out more about the work of a dominatrix, The Huffington Post was allowed to witness an hour-long session between LaMorgese and one of her clients, Joseph, 28.

Damon Dahlen/Huffington Post

In her rented-out room of submission and domination in midtown Manhattan, a throne is set against the back wall, which is painted red. There’s a bondage table, a metal cage, whips, paddles, a stockade of sorts, and various other instruments of the trade. From the outset, it was clear that sex was never part of the equation. The hour was all about asserting control over someone who enjoys surrendering their power. LaMorgese was authoritative ― but also calm and collected ― and she required her client to address her as “Mistress.”

“What am I going to do with you?” she asks hims.

“Whatever you want, Mistress,” he responds.

“That’s music to my ears,” she says, just before smacking his ass hard with a paddle.

Before long, his buttocks are fiery red.

For an inside peek at the session, scroll through the images and quotes below.

Damon Dahlen/Huffington Post

"There is a classic stereotype of a dominatrix -- and I totally get why. Whenever the media portrays a fetishist or a 'Domme,' as we’re called in the industry, she is typically dressed in leather, wearing thigh-high boots and a mean scowl, and covered with tattoos. And while I do own such garments, my look and attitude only scratch the surface of the relationship I have with my clients." -- Sandra

Damon Dahlen/Huffington Post

"At first, the idea was nothing more than an off-hand joke between me and a friend -- one of those 'Well, you could always become a circus clown' kind of comments. I was 55 and didn't think I could ever do something like this at 55." -- Sandra

Damon Dahlen/Huffington Post

"At the time, though, I was working to earn my PhD in Metaphysical Science, studying female sexual empowerment and researching the transmutation of sexual energy, and more I flirted with the idea of becoming a dominatrix, the more logical it seemed. It would be the ultimate way for me to walk the walk and talk the talk of my studies. Slowly, the idea took root in my mind." -- Sandra

Damon Dahlen/Huffington Post

"I think a lot of people consider it taboo because they just look at it from an outside perspective ... that oh, this guy likes to get his ass beat or this guy likes to get dominated ... and they don't realize the health benefits that person is receiving by submitting for an hour-long session." -- Joseph

Damon Dahlen/Huffington Post

"Being a dominatrix isn't really about the look or the badass attitude at all: It’s a power and sexual energy exchange, and for the most part, it’s not what I’m doing that really matters. What matters is how I make my client feel. The props and the costumes are there to increase the drama, but the real play comes from my relationship with my client." -- Sandra

Damon Dahlen/Huffington Post

"A true professional dominatrix never has sex with a client and a true submissive would never expect sexual favors from a Mistress. Internet BDSM porn created that misconception." -- Sandra

Damon Dahlen/Huffington Post

"We all follow the rules, even if we don't realize we're doing it. Women have had a lifetime of society’s conditioning and training in the rules of how a women should behave. I worried constantly about my appearance, my reputation, and the way others perceived me. Even now, after years of actively pushing against those restrictive ideas, I still can’t go down to the grocery store without putting on a proper bra." -- Sandra

Damon Dahlen/Huffington Post

"Every day, though, I’m learning to change how I think, feel, and believe about being ‘proper,’ and I am slowly setting myself free from the external and internal influences that stifle my authenticity of being me." -- Sandra

Damon Dahlen/Huffington Post

"It takes a lot of energy [to be a dominatrix] and if you are a true professional and you enjoy your work you are really in it with the client. My mind is not on different thoughts like the electric bill or other things that could be taking my thoughts and feelings away from the session. I am putting all my energy and emotions inside that session. So at tops I can see maybe two clients a day." -- Sandra

Damon Dahlen/Huffington Post

"This is no different than going to get a massage for an hour. It's no different than people who say they go to the gym for therapy. It's just another form of human expression. It just happens that you may or may not get your ass beat for an hour. People kind of look at that as, oh, that's not healthy. But there are numerous medical and mental benefits that come from this." -- Joseph

Damon Dahlen/Huffington Post

"I knew that becoming a dominatrix would truly teach me to fully accept authentic, non-judgmental sexuality. I knew, however, that I struggled with the many negative social influences that cast aside expressive sexuality and especially BDSM as wrong and taboo. I didn't want people to think I was abnormal or strange. At the same time, though, I suspected that the experience could empower me as a woman, and deep down, I somehow understood that it would set me free from my own judgmental perceptions of how women should behave and follow the 'rules'." -- Sandra

Damon Dahlen/Huffington Post

"We're not here to hurt anyone. Actually, I always say to everyone, 'I'm not in the pain business, I'm in the pleasure business'." -- Sandra

Damon Dahlen/Huffington Post

"The practice of BDSM involves trust, compassion, love, acceptance, erotica, and surrendering control …That, along with a few necessary beatings." -- Sandra

Damon Dahlen/Huffington Post

"As far as laws go, there can be no sexual acts (including foot jobs) and no penetration (anal, catheters, needles). When it comes to the 'tribute' (gift of appreciation for the Mistress's time to even consider giving the sub any of her attention ... sometimes she will receive a gift card by email just because she deserves nice things. Price varies for different areas, however the range for NYC is between $200-$500 an hour. High-case characters are always used when referring to a Mistress. It's a superior thing." -- Sandra

Damon Dahlen/Huffington Post

"The older I get, the more my ideas about age change. I recently turned 60, but unlike when I turned 40 or 50, my age no longer feels like an important part of my identity. When I was younger, I worried more about my age because I was so worried about becoming 'successful in life,' and in many cases, society gives us a deadline for those accomplishments. At 60, though, I feel more free, empowered, and happy than ever before, and that's all that matters. I no long place myself in the ‘age box’ So, instead of thinking of myself as 60, I see myself more as a spirit traveler, who has been on a journey here for 60 years." -- Sandra